The Indian Shylock: The Original Silent Version

The Indian Shylock: The Original Silent Version

1925 · ★ 8.0

A social film with high melodrama, concerning a peasant (Shantaram) who loses his land to a greedy money-lender and moves to the city where he becomes a mill worker. Taking its cue from the realist tradition, the film counterposes an idyllic rural life (destroyed but the greedy money-lender who uses forged papers to steal the peasant's land) with the harsh city life. The shot of a hut accompanied by a howling dog are regarded as one of the most memorable moments of Indian cinema to date.

Directed by Baburao Painter

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Pratibha

Pratibha · 1937

The poet Prasad (K. Date) lives far from the city in a forest, enjoying only the company of his wife Pratibha (Khote). The court poet Kaveeshwar (Phatak) of a neighbouring kingdom discovers Prasad’s poetry and, more importantly, his beautiful wife, and invites them to his palace, promising fame and glory. Against Pratibha’s advice, Prasad succumbs to temptation, only to see his work plagiarised and his wife harassed.

Muraliwala

Muraliwala · 1927

Raman and Radha are together, sharing for the first time genuine conjugal happiness, Radha is also happy because she has, presumably, killed her internal demon with a message from Krishna, that she finds Him in her husband. But then the demon resurfaces again: the nightmare continues.

The Indian Shylock: The Talkie Version

The Indian Shylock: The Talkie Version · 1936

The Indian Shylock: The Talkie Version

The story deals with a greedy moneylender who cheats the peasants of their money, forcing them to give up farming and take on jobs as mill-workers.

Usha

MovieFantasyDrama

The demonic King Banasur, a devout disciple of Shiva, wants to eliminate Vishnu and his followers in the guise of Krishna, king of Dwarka and an incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna overcomes Banasur's designs by getting his daughter Usha to fall in love in with Aniruddha.

Sati Savitri

Sati Savitri · 1927

MovieDramaFantasy

Baburao Painter’s mythological silent feature SatiSavitri (1927) narrates the tale of love and devotion of legendary Savitri, who won back her husband from the Lord of death Yama. Only 32 minutes exists.

Lok Shahir Ram Joshi

Lok Shahir Ram Joshi · 1947

Lok Shahir Ram Joshi

Ram Joshi, a Brahmin poet, discovers the arts, falls in love, descends into alcoholism, and eventually finds salvation through his poetry.

Lokshahir Ram Joshi

Lokshahir Ram Joshi · 1947

Lokshahir Ram Joshi

Ram Joshi is a Brahmin poet, who through his love of poetry and dance starts associating with the tamasha artists. He falls in love with the tamasha dancer Baya. The film follows his descent into acoholism and his redemption from it through poetry.

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